Why has the mighty Alex fallen out of fashion?

[Heavy_Metal]

On a personal and selfish note, I'm glad the Alexander has "fallen out of fashion". Otherwise, the guy who previously owned my tuba might not have sold it.

THIS!

[Matt G]

The chairs are stacked nicely.

[peterbas]

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[pjv]

Did anybody notice that this post started 10 years ago, went into hibernation, and fired right back up again?

Anyway, to answer the OP partially with information that's already been touched on;

-The Alex is a hand-made. 'nuff said.
-The company is VERY conservative and have practically built the same couple of tubas for years.
-This means that some issues, like the "traditional German" flat 5th partial (first two notes) have never been dealt with and probably never will be. The 164's I've tried had even more intonation issues. The 163's practically 0 (except the 5th p., etc)
-Valves; when I visited the company 2 years ago all of the new tubas had heavy, slow valves. Was this an upkeep problem with the show models? Maybe. Terrible selling point. It's one of the things that helped me decide NOT to buy one. (I get on a Miraphone and it's like a Ferrari). Now I have an old 163 and the valves are "reasonably" quick and "acceptably heavy" (not heavier than many modern tubas) but this is not something admirable a new tuba.

So for me as a player I first test if a tuba is playable in the first place (all the notes are open and present), second I look at intonation, mechanics 3rd, ergonomics 4th and type of sound last. Yes, I believe in the right tool for the right job. I also believe that if I'm utterly happy playing a tuba because I can get out of it what I want, then who cares if it sounds Alexish or Yorkish or even Yamahaish. For the listener it will still sound like a tuba.

[Matt G]

A flat fifth partial usually means the third and sixth partial are close, so most of the notes in the “money” register are reasonably well-behaved and predictable.

[Matthew Gaunt]

bloke "Immediately to my right is Dave Duro - of Burning River Brass...Some of you know him."

Dave Duro is The Man!

[anotherjtm2]

Did anybody notice that this post started 10 years ago, went into hibernation, and fired right back up again?
...

So... is the mighty Alex even more out of fashion ten years later? Or are they "in" again?

[Rick Denney]

Did anybody notice that this post started 10 years ago, went into hibernation, and fired right back up again?
...

So... is the mighty Alex even more out of fashion ten years later? Or are they "in" again?

In with who? Ted Cox has never left the Alex fold, and I'm sure he's not the only one. But I wonder how many top pros who sold their Alexes in favor of Yorkbrunners and later Yorclones have traded those Yorclones in to go back to an Alex. I have noticed that some have traded in their Yorclones for something smaller and (perhaps) more focused, in tune, and efficient. But not often, it seems to me with limited visibility, for an Alex.

Amateurs can explore, often without regard to cost efficiency--that's as much part of the hobby as anything for many of us. And we explore with somewhat different requirements to fulfill, and without, in many cases, the same skill at verifying whether those requirements have been fulfilled.

Rick "thinking the thread fired up again because Bort bought an Alex and has been justifiably gushing about it recently" Denney

[bort]

Rick "thinking the thread fired up again because Bort bought an Alex and has been justifiably gushing about it recently" Denney

(Ironically) Alex C was the one who resurrected the 10-year-old thread. But yes, I did have a lot to say after it was reopened...

[peterbas]

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[peterbas]

deleted

[pjv]

But Bloke sir, if you are so "not into ' playing a 6/4 yourself, why have you been so verbal about wanting a Siegfried? Whats it got that the others dont have?